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 Lord’s Cricket Ground – set for transformation? |
West End | News | Lord's Cricket Ground | Floodlights | MCC | Westminster Council
Claims floodlights ‘more suited to industrial area’
LORD’S Cricket Ground will be transformed into a “hideous industrial estate” if planning chiefs give the green light for six giant floolights to be erected at the St John’s Wood landmark.
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) have taken their first steps to modernise the ground by submitting the plans for the 50-metre high “Meccano-style” lights – part of a £200 million makeover, to “sex up” the game in a bid to hold more night-time matches under floodlights.
Residents in St John’s Wood have written to Westminster Council’s planning department to voice their opposition to the plans, which many fear could be the tip of the iceberg. Crowd sizes could rocket from 30,000 to 40,000 when the revamp is completed.
Apart from the floodlights, which objectors have branded “industrial cranes” more at home on a building site or a dockyard, objectors are worried that the area will be swamped by boozy cricket fans, spilling on to the street late at night.
The proposals are for six floodlights that will go up every summer for six months over the next five years.
It is understood Lord’s is planning to stage more Twenty20 matches – a higher tempo version of the game, described as the “crack cocaine” of cricket by some commentators.
Michael Brent, chairman of the planning committee at the St John’s Wood Society, said: “We are objecting to the application for a number of reasons. First of all it’s going to make the ground look like a dockyard or an industrial estate for five years. It will be absolutely hideous
“Then a lot of people in the flats surrounding the ground are going to be completely dazzled by the lights.”
He added: “Apart from that application specifically there is significant worry about the development. We appreciate the prestige and heritage of the ground and have never really had issues, but staging all these night- time games does pose a different set of problems.
“Dispersing crowds and drinkers late at night would be a big worry for us.”
But the MCC is defending the plans. It said the mobile lights are the best option for the ground and has played down fears about crowd problems.
Chief executive Keith Bradshaw said: “Floodlights are now a key component for staging one day and Twenty20 matches. This application provides a solution to floodlighting for the ICC World Twenty20 tournament, a major international sporting event, as well as matches over the next five years.
“The temporary option has been developed following a thorough analysis of floodlighting solutions. It’s important that we take into account the effect on the local area as well as how it fits in with the Lord’s Masterplan. As the home of cricket globally, it is crucial that Lord’s continues to host these games.”
A selection panel is currently weighing up which architect to choose to carry out the redevelopment. |
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